SS
Dover Castle was built by Barclay Curle & Company Glasgow,
Yard No 443, in 1904 and launched 4th February 1904. Her propulsion
was steam, quadruple expansion engines, 969 nhp, 14.5 knots.
She was built as a Passenger/Cargo Vessel for Union-Castle
Mail Steamship Co Ltd, London with tonnage of 8,271. She was
converted to a hospital ship in World War 1 becoming HMHS
Dover Castle. She was sunk by UC.67 on 26th May 1917, when
50 miles north of Bone on passage Malta for Gibraltar. The
first torpedo struck her, killing 6 crew members, a seventh
casualty was a bath attendant found drowned two days after
the sinking. He is buried in Bone War cemetery. HMHS Karapara
270 survivors off the "Dover Castle" and transferred
them to Gibraltar. HMS "Chameloen", an escort, participatied
in the rescue. Dover Castle's captain and a volunteer crew
remained on board hoping they could save the ship but an hour
later the sub struck again and she sank in three minutes.
Save for the crew killed, everyone else was saved.